DCM - Supersize me!

Lythan said: "I have loads of enormous paper flowers that I have bought and never used. So I want to see some really big embellishments on your cards. Bonus points for outsize blooms!"

I too have many outsize blooms from swap we did on Bubbly Funk Forum, I had the Elusive Images stamp still on my craft desk, so I stamped on the big purply pink boom with black Stazon and then noticed I had a couple of bits of leather left over from the handbag I made a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd try and stamp on them too! The papers are Dovecraft 'A hint of pink'.

I also used Kathy's sketch from Kathy's Waffle Sketchfile (that was lying on the floor - lol). Just shows what inspiration you can get from a messy crafting area.

Inchy Swap at Bubbly Funk

This is my 'Face' inchy for the swap on Bubbly Funk Forum. I have only shown the one because they are pretty much all the same. The face is from a vintage photograph courtesy of Isabella Vintage background paper is Simply Stated, I stamped over the image with an Elusive Images stamp and Versamark. Beads, brad from stash.

The Simple Woman's Day Book

For Today...

Outside my window... A big yellow digger! (see photos on previous post)

I am thinking... about going to see a cookery demonstration by Claire Macdonald

I am thankful for... getting safely home from London, despite the nightmare journey

From the kitchen... Chicken Chasseur, new potatoes, cabbage

I am wearing... same as last week :o

I am reading... Scrapbook Inspirations

I am hoping... that things will calm down at work this week

I am creating...a card with big blooms

Around the house... No, I still haven't tidied my craft room

One of my favorite things... Red wine

A few plans for the rest of the week... Tuesday - cookery demo, Wednesday - meetings, Thursday - catch up, Friday - collapse in a heap!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... It's the rose that grows by our front door and the photograph was taken last May (2008)

Artarazzi Challenge 20

Our guest designer this week is Femmy. She has chosen a wonderful image for you all, and provided a wonderful piece of work. The beautiful image is by Charles Joshua Chaplin and is called "Girl with a Nest" When I looked at this painting, my first thought was that it was so realistic it was like a photograph, then I wondered what else she could have in her hand...and what would she be doing if she was alive today?

So I took her clubbing!!!!

Photographs from Stock.xchng: Jim Reilly "Cheers" (279569) and Ale Paiva Club 1 (1147773)
Digital Papers & Elements: Nicole Seitler of Sugarplumpaperie, Ellie Lash & Flergs

Show and Tell - Big Digger

We are getting some work done on our field drains, and this enormous digger arrived this afternoon :o It is huge! I just had to take a pic and share it with you.

Kathy's Waffle Sketch File - Sketch 7

Here is a card I've made using the Torn Paper Trio Sketch from Kathy's Waffle Sketchfile I dug out some papers that were in my drawer and haven't seen the light of day for some time. They matched the 'egg yolk yellow' flowers I had bought in a sale, and the whole effect is quite pleasing. Thanks for the sketch, Kathy.

The Simple Woman's Day Book

For Today...

Outside my window... Sunshine and warmth

I am thinking... about flying to London on Thursday

I am thankful for... my friends and family

From the kitchen... Chicken Salad, baked sweet potato

I am wearing... brown cords, pink cotton jumper

I am reading... nothing much at the moment, I haven't been able to get into a new book.

I am hoping... that I can get through all the work I have to do

I am creating... nothing much at the moment, my mojo seems to have gone walkies

Around the house... I still haven't tidied my craft room

One of my favorite things... a walk with my DH after tea, we walked up to the woods

A few plans for the rest of the week... tomorrow is the Summer jobs fair for the students, then off to another campus for meetings, then flying to London, meeting with our lawyer on Friday - busy week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

This plant is called 'Honesty'

Digitalartquirks - Stock Photo Challenge 71

Here is the Stock Photo for challenge no. 71 at Digital Art Quirks Forum image is 1121637_single_tree from stock.xchng . Below is my altered version.
Credits to: Shelly Grund, Mistyworldgallery, The fairies of Nutfolk Wood, Isabella images, Lliella Designs, Flickr: Toadstools223705667_c9f324924f

Artarazzi Challenge 18 - Desiree

Here is the Artarazzi image for altering this week. I have sort of combined it with a Digital Art Quirks collage challenge using some of the collage items provided in the impromptu challenge.
My DS2 is home this weekend and suggested that it should be called 'desire', I have feminised it a little to make it Desiree.

Here's one I made earlier...

It's my sister's birthday tomorrow. I know that she would love me to send a card full of loving, sisterly messages, but I'm afraid that is just not me, this is about as close as she is going to get. That's us on a boat on the Norfolk Broads in the 1960s, I'm the girly one sitting down - hee hee, no change there then. Still managing to find some bits of K&Co Wild Saffron to use on this card.

Fiskarettes - Recycle Challenge

I am a bit predictable when it come to recycling challenges. I always look for the latest Cath Kidston catalogue! There are always pictures of the lovely fabrics which I've used to make my card, I'm just waiting for Cath Kidston to catch up with Laura Ashley and get into papercrafts.

I found a new place to play :) It's called Digitalartquirks and I found it via one of the players of the Artarazzi challenge. This challenge uses a stock photo, this one is 945051_10224323 from Stock Xchng, which members have to use in their art work.
When I looked at the railings, I was reminded of the Suffragettes and how they chained themselves to the railings. The newspaper images are from The Museum of London, background paper mgl scraps at Scrapbookgraphics and the chain is by Lisa Bowman for Digital Craft Cottage. The rest is mainly done with standard filters on Photoshop Elements.

New Felt Bag

The felting session that included making Dicky Bert was really started in order to make a felt handbag/purse for a friend and work colleague who is leaving this week. She had asked me about making one for her, but wasnt' sure what colour she wanted and it never got made. So I decided to surprise her with this bag which I think will go well with the colours she wears.
As you can see, I had an 'assistant' photographer!

Captions please!

What do you think the caption should be for this photograph? Just for fun, no prizes and nothing rude please! Yes, that is me on the bird, just as well it was nice day or it might have been a bit breezy up there.

RAK mint

Angelnorth kindly offered some mint as an RAK on Bubblyfunk Forum and, as I used to get mine growing semi-wild from outside a ruined house and now the mint seems to have disappeared, I accepted. I got it potted up on Friday, and thought I'd post it here to show it in it's new home.
I have offered Angelnorth some Ginger Mint in return, but she will have to wait a little while until it is ready to post, just peeping through the soil in this pot at the moment.

The Eagle has landed!

Well, not quite an Eagle - ha ha ha! Over on Bubbly Scrumptious there is a Bubbly Fun Challenge to create a felt bird, read about it HERE As I make my own felt from fibres, I felt I had to rise to this challenge and remembered a project in a book by talented felter Ewa Kuniczak for making a felt bird. It was a considerable challenge as I have never done any wet felt scupting, but I was really pleased with the way it came together, even if it did take me a couple of hours!!!
I had even more fun staging these photographs of Dicky Bert, as he has been named by the Bubbly Funk Chat Room crew (some of their suggestions would have brought the wrong sort of traffic to my blog lol), and you can see by the sky just what a glorious day it was yesterday.
I've promised to do a little more trickery with these photos, so come back tomorrow and see what I have manged to do.

Artarazzi Challenge 18

This is the modern art image by Boris Vallejo that we are altering this week in the Artarazzi Challenge.
The long tendrils of her hair reminded me of Aubrey Beardsley prints, I love the flowing lines of Beardsley's art, this one is The Peacock Skirt. Other digital elements came from Flergs and the background paper from PolkaDotPlum both designers at Scraporchard.

Happy Easter

No, this is not a freak of nature! This photograph comes from last summer, but I thought that everyone would enjoy seeing this cheerful flower, with it's little accessories, a bee and a fly!

Sea Breeze

The Free Monthly Designer Kit at Digital Craft Cottage is called Sea Breeze and designed by Becky Alexander for Digital Craft Cottage.

The Simple Woman's Day Book - 6th April 2009

For Today... it seems to make more sense for me to complete this on a Sunday night and set it to post in the morning so I can share with my friends across the globe in their time.

Outside my window...it is still light at 7.30pm - hurrah!

I am thinking...about my long drive to work tomorrow.

I am thankful for...my DS2 having had a good gig and feeling happy.

From the kitchen...Mushroom and Spinach Korma with rice and Naan bread - mmm yum!

I am wearing...oh quelle surprise, cord and a wooly jumper - not properly warm enough to shed them yet.

I am reading...still reading Lily Koppel's Red Leather Diary, but also reading Craft Stamper in between.

I am hoping... to appoint someone who can do the job at the interviews I am conducting tomorrow.

I am creating...well, I still haven't started the birthday book, although I have cut the chipboard covers.

I am hearing...some inane cartoon film which seems to be on TV, no idea why we are watching it!

Around the house...there are a lot of cobwebs, oh dear spring cleaning beckons, but I am a reluctant housewife.

One of my favorite things...a quiet weekend at home, well I've just had that, and have a nice long weekend to look forward to.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Busy week, interviews on Monday, a bit of b*tt kicking on Tuesday, validation panel on Wednesday, Thursday will be catch up day and then off work Friday and not back till Wednesday 15th.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...


Papers and elements by Amanda Kay, Pineapple Plantation, Franziska Altmann and Polka Dot Plum for Sunshine Sweets Collaboration Kit.

If it doesn't move, alter it!

Just thought I'd show you a couple of little plastic boxes that I have altered with the bits of Hippie Chick which are STILL lying about on the floor round my craft desk (blush). At work, I've been covering for someone on another campus, you know how in some offices people rush to offer you a tea or coffee when you arrive and at others everyone keeps their own jars and boxes to themselves? Well, guess what? Yes, although I did mange to cadge some coffee and milk from a co-worker, I got the impression that I could be on my own if she wasn't around! So I decided that I'd take my own stuff in, the top box has coffee in it, as I'm only there once a week I don't want to take a whole jar.

This one has tea bags in it. They are green tea with cranberry, which is nice and light for when I am thirsty and have had enough coffee! I'm not over fond of basic teabags I find them bitter as I don't take milk in my tea.

I covered the tops with some transparent film (the kind you use to cover books), the lids are not likely to get dirty and need washed but that should keep stray splashes from spoiling the paper. It will be interesting to see if I get any reaction to my little boxes - hee hee hee!

Fiskarettes - Egg Hunt Challenge

The competition theme is to create a project where you hide an egg within your project - could be a papercraft project, fabric, jewellery, anything you can think of! The subject is ‘Egg Hunt’…

I have hidden three chocolate lolly pops behind the Easter Eggs. I used digital elements from Pineapple Plantation and Franziska Altmann.

Oops, meant to say that this has also been inspired by Sketch 2009, No. 8 from Kathy's Waffle Sketch File

Artarazzi Challenge 17

This is the image to be altered in the Artarzzi Challenge this week. Now I am not a fan of seagulls, in fact I don't really like birds that swoop down on your at all! So this image brought to mind the Hitchcock Film, "The Birds". The image I have produced combines the film poster from The Birds, an 'end of pier' shot and the seagull, blended together.

Crafty Calendar April Page is up!

This is the fabulous project, designed by Karen (Kaz) Boughton for the April page of the Bubbly Funk Crafty Calendar. You can download the calendar and the project instructions on the Crafty Calendar Website HERE. The calendar has been made by members of Bubbly Funk Forum for the Charity Action for ME, donations can be made on the site through Just Giving.

Show and Tell Friday

After I showed the Victorian card a couple of weeks ago, there were some requests to see more of my hall and stair with it's Victorian/Edwardian features. Our house dates back to the late 18thC, however it was remodelled in 1900, we know because there has been continuous family in the house since then, and we still have the plans. The bottom of the house was extended and a top storey added with tiled fireplaces in the bedrooms and this stair case. There used to be coloured glass in the window at the top of the stairs but we had to replace it and decided to go for clear glass so we could get more light and see the view.
I hand stencilled all the red roses and gold leaves at time when my crafting was directed towards decorating! Last year my DH & I stripped all the paint off the bannister and repainted the posts.

We have these two ladies looking across at each other, they are probably my favourite feature in the hall.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my hallway, please visit Kelli's Show and Tell and share a little bit of your life.